Flight Software Engineer

Description

Xona is building the next generation of satellite navigation — a high-performance, resilient alternative to GPS powered by a commercial constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. We are on a mission to unlock a new era of autonomy, advanced mobility, and infrastructure resilience by delivering precise, secure, and robust positioning services to the world.

We’re not here to incrementally improve GNSS. We’re here to redefine it from the ground up .

We’re looking for a Flight Software Engineer to develop, integrate, and optimize the onboard software for our satellites. You will drive the creation of flight software components and related integration procedures. You'll work closely with hardware engineering, integration & test, and operations team members to establish robust software methodologies and practices that will scale effectively as our constellation grows.

This is a hands-on role that will influence many facets of our satellite software systems, including: software architecture, embedded platforms, hardware/software interface testing, fault management, performance optimization, digital tooling, technical documentation, and operational reliability.

What You'll Do
- Develop, integrate, and optimize embedded flight software for satellite subsystems, writing production-quality code daily.

- Execute comprehensive full-system test campaigns, emphasizing detailed hardware/software interface validation.

- Collaborate closely with Integration & Test, hardware engineering, and operations teams to implement robust software interfaces, manage fault conditions, and develop effective mitigation strategies.

- Continuously improve software components and integration procedures, contributing to long-term reliability and scalability.

- Translate complex operational workflows into clear technical documentation, ensuring maintainability and knowledge transfer.

- Optimize software performance, stability, and resilience, enhancing spacecraft operational reliability.

You'll Be a Good Fit If
- You love writing clean, robust, and maintainable code for embedded systems and thrive when diving deeply into complex software-hardware integrations.

- You have a passion for building reliable software and solving intricate technical challenges.

- You have a high attention to detail, methodical, and comfortable debugging code in real-time embedded environments.

- You enjoy collaborating across engineering disciplines, proactively identifying risks, and solving challenging technical problems.

Requirements

- Strong proficiency in writing embedded software in C/C++ on real-time operating systems (RTOS) or space-focused software frameworks (e.g., cFS, F', TASTE).

- Solid understanding of software testing methodologies and best practices.

- Demonstrated experience with full-system testing and software/hardware interface validation.

- Proven experience implementing communication protocols and interfaces (e.g., CAN, RS-422/485, Ethernet).

- Excellent analytical, debugging, and problem-solving skills.

- Strong written and verbal communication abilities and collaborative teamwork skills.

- To comply with U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a?U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder), or other protected individual?as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)?

Desired Qualifications

- Experience with on-orbit operations, fault detection, isolation & recovery (FDIR), or embedded autonomy.

- Prior experience developing embedded systems software in aerospace or similarly rigorous industries.

- Hands-on experience working with satellite flight hardware or spacecraft testbeds.